Jason Smith: "Damian Lillard Was Never THAT Guy!"

Jason Smith and Mike Harmon react to former Bucks point guard Damian Lillard coming back to the Trail Blazers on a three year deal. The duo dives into the surprising nature of the move and explores what it could mean for Lillard’s legacy, his motivations at this stage of his career, and the direction of the Trail Blazers as a franchise!

Jason Smith:

"I feel like we've miscategorized him—grouped him with the kind of players where it's like, you're a difference-maker, go win a championship. Of course, he wants to win, but he doesn’t burn to win. He burns to play. He loves to play. He loves the game. He’s done incredible things in Portland and is one of the most beloved players in franchise history. But he’s just not wired like Kobe, LeBron, Shaq—those guys who are obsessed with winning at all costs. He’s just not that guy. And I think now, seeing him quickly decide, hey, I’m okay going back home, and if I don’t win, I don’t win, that kind of confirms it. That’s the kind of guy he’s always been."

Mike Harmon:

"You get your closure, and you might have been loving it and fighting for wins for a long, long time, but at some point, you have that moment where things change, and you recognize—hey, I still love the job, I still love the paycheck, I still love the locker room, whatever else!"